Pre-recorded instruction on process and techniques

• with an optional LIVE Class Session on Wednesday, June 24th at noon-2pm Central (Chicago time), with optional mingling time after class till 3pm

🌎 🌍 🌏 This link to World Time Buddy will help you to easily understand the times. (Class meets in Chicago Time)

Chair Portraits by Hand:

There’s just something about a chair! With legs and a back, they feel somewhat human and evoke a sense of place and rest. They can be a throne or a work-chair, whimsical or practical. This class invites you to play with this archetypal image and sew a chair from your imagination, real life, or a beloved/iconic photo.

Drawing is an excellent start to a chair portrait because it allows for wobbly lines and creative, multi-angled perspectives. This class will guide you in drawing from life and photographs to make a “perfectly imperfect” portrait full of quirky personality. In addition to drawing, you will learn helpful knots and stitches to create a line quality that embodies your chair.

*This class is focused on the charming unpredictability of free-hand drawing and quick work. If your goal is a perfect replica of a pre-existing image, I recommend my Hand Embroidered Drawing class.

Chairs to Consider:

sewing chair, office chair, recliner, kitchen stool, family dinner-table chair, dining room chair, throne, children’s art table chair, rocking chair, wing-back chair, art deco chair, cane-back chair, hanging ratan chair, zero-gravity chair, portable bag chair, beanbag, folding chair, stroller, piano bench, Van Gogh’s chair, swivel chair, director’s chair, highchair, chaise lounge, stacking chair, IKEA Poång, massage chair, study chair, school chair, pool lounger, adirondack chair, wheel chair, tufted chair, mid-century chair, molded fiberglass armchair, Frido Kahlo’s chair….

Class Highlights Include:

1. Quick: You can make a 6×6” chair portrait in an afternoon and they make excellent gifts.

2. Increase your skill and confidence with hand-drawing: Learn to track proportion, create 1- and 2-point perspective, and embrace small accidents that reveal the artist’s hand.

3. Meaningful: Chairs are powerful archetypes on their own, and a chair you imagine can evoke emotion on its own or as part of a larger quilt. Creating a portrait of a family heirloom chair or a beloved everyday-use chair can tell a story.

4. Versatile: This class is about chairs, but the approach I teach can be applied to a couch, lamp, table, potted plant, flower, or any other classic still life subject.

5. Beginner Friendly: Instruction begins with learning to thread a needle, and your chair can be as simple or complex as you like.

Class Outline:

• Available Now: View class content & begin sewing at your own pace with access to 2x’s speed, slow motion, captions, etc.

  • 8 introductory technique demos (45-minutes total)

  • A lecture from Heidi with a history on her chairs and insights about them (1-hour)

  • A drawing demo, highlighting proportion and perspective when drawing chairs (30-minutes)

  • Links to recommended videos on Heidi’s YouTube and Instagram

  • You can join an optional private Chair Portraits Group Chat on Instagram to share & celebrate your chair portraits, ask questions, and collect links with helpful stitch and composition resources.

• Coming Soon:

  • A demo for stretching your quilt/embroidery on a wooden frame, with a staple gun (about 30-minutes, this will be available in mid-June)

• Wednesday, June 24 noon-2pm Central (Chicago time)

  • A LIVE Class Session on Zoom. We will sew chairs together! This will be recorded and will become part of the class.

  • An additional hour of mingling, co-working, and Q&A after class (2-3pm Central)

• Celebrating Your Work:

  • You are encouraged to share your work (in-progress or finished) publicly with #ChairPortraitsByHand on Instagram, which may lead to your work being highlighted and linked to you on Heidi’s Pinterest

Additional Info:

• You can see my favorite sewing supplies HERE on my website. I also love to use the Little House Needle Gripper Silicon Thimble for handwork and you can find it and $5 off with this Snuggly Monkey coupon link.

• This class includes pre-recorded content.

• Our optional LIVE Class Session will be recorded, and will become part of the on-demand class.

• Attendees of this class will have ‘forever’ access to all of the class materials; therefore, refunds are not available.

• ⭕️ BE READY AFTER CHECKOUT:that is the easiest time to download the PDF required to access class. (You will also get an email from no-reply@squarespace.info with a link to the PDF, and a separate email with your receipt.)

• Guilds get discounted class rates on many of my on-demand classes, check them out here! Email me to request that this class be made available to your guild.